Things To Do in Cairns

So you've arrived in Cairns (or will be arriving) and need some things to do to keep you entertained during your stay. Or perhaps you're a local with a free weekend? Well our guide will make sure you're never bored in Cairns! There's an amazing range of activities to keep everyone happy, from scenic flights and drives, to adventure activities and relaxing cruises in the rainforest or Great Barrier Reef.

Better yet, you can book most of these tours and activities online - just click through the below things to do in Cairns for a guide and list of operators that can help!

Here's some things to investigate to keep you well and truly occupied on your next visit...

Cairns is an exciting place to visit, and you won't find more activities, tours and experiences in any other region than the Tropical North. Choose from Green Island tours that include cruises, helicopter flights, and snorkelling, or Rainforest tours that include the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Jungle Bungy Jumping. Take your pick!

There's so much more to do in Cairns then lazing on the beach with a good book whether you want to experience some extreme adventures by air, over sea or through rainforest. Taking off in a small plane, jumping out in a tandem sky dive and floating back down to earth with views of the Great Barrier Reef and brilliant green of the rainforest is a once in a life time experience.

A great way to understand the cultural aspects of Cairns is to visit the Cairns Regional Gallery and to visit the many smaller art galleries and boutiques around Cairns. As you can imagine the region acts as a spectacular backdrop for all kinds of artists so the variety of artforms on show is staggering. Choose from oil on canvas, ceramics, glassware, sculpture and photography to take home.

There's some absolutely fantastic bushwalking to be done around the rainforests of Cairns. There's gorgeous National Parks surrounding the city of Cairns and also a short boat ride away on Green Island and Fitzroy Island. It's an excellent day out for everyone with lot of gorgeous flora and fauna - it's not only rainforest but also natural Australian bushland.

Take a cruise in Cairns and choose from many great locations! Explore the banks of the Daintree River, or discover great dive locations in the Great Barrier Reef! You can choose a lovely day out on the seas stopping off on different islands, snorkeling the reefs and eating gourmet picnic lunches. Read on for some local cruise operators.

On the 25th September 1966, Captain George Bransford landed his first thousand pound marlin, caught by his deckhand Richard Obach off Cairns. Australia's first 'grander' and the many 'thousand pound plus' fish caught in the few years following, established Cairns internationally as home of the Giant Black Marlin.

Cairns is nestled between two of Australia's most beautiful areas as it has the Great Barrier Reef to one side and the Heritage Listed National Parks with their mountains to the other side. All of the gold courses around Cairn's offer players with not only lush greens but also amazing scenery. The Cairns golf courses are membership based but also readily welcome visitors to come play on their greens and fairways.

Can you imagine anything more romantic than riding along a deserted beach or having fun with your friends riding through lush rainforest on horseback? It's a wonderful way to experience the region with grand views whilst you're on top of your trusty steed. Click through for a list of horse-riding tour providers in Cairns

Visiting the markets in and around Cairns is a great way to get an idea of the local vibe and culture. Cairns is a hub for local artists producing brilliant Indigenous works, handcrafts, clothing, paintings, photography and so much more. There's also plenty of fresh and delicious local produce so you can wander throughout the various stalls.

Visitors to the National Parks around Cairns are allowed to enter some of the oldest rainforest on earth. The parks around this area date back over 100 million years and are very special to the people of the area. That means that when you visit you must take care of these scared and beautiful grounds.

Many North Queensland towns grew and developed around the local pub and this is why some of these pubs stand out as some of the pinnacle historical land marks in town. Cairns is no exception. There's almost a pub on every corner of Cairns however some of them have been there since the late 1800s compared to the newer bars and nightclubs.

Cairns is smack bang between the Coral Sea and the wonderful grazing lands and tropical fruit orchards in the Cairns Hinterland. This means that the produce you'll find in cafes and restaurants is the highest quality with the freshest seafood Australia has to offer, premium beef and an amazing assortment of fruits that you won't find anywhere else.

Driving yourself is the perfect way to explore the Cairns region as you can pull over for a swim, a rest or to take a photograph . You can explore the region at your own pace and go wherever your heart desires. Plan out your ideal itinerary and take a lovely day trip or choose to a longer drive and stay overnight at a campsite.

What better way to discover Cairns than by getting a birds eye view of the region? There's so many wonderful sites to see around Cairns like the amazing coral reefs of The Great Barrier Reef, National Parks with spectacular scenery, long stretches of beach with cute little beachside towns and the green rolling hills of the Atherton Tablelands. To be able to see all of this in one day is pretty special and there's a range of different options for you to choose.

The Great Barrier Reef is considered to be the most beautiful reef in the world so its no surprise that Cairns, with the Barrier Reef in it's backyard, is a major hotspot for snorkeling and scuba diving in Australia. Known worldwide for breathtaking sights of coral, an assortment of tropical fish and aquatic life, the Great Barrier Reef is the perfect location for both professional and amateur divers alike.

Cairns has an abundance of great shopping locations, from market stalls offering locally made products to shopping centres with all the latest fashions from your favourite chain stores. There's a bunch of great fashion boutiques offering international and Australian clothes that will have you well dressed and well heeled for a day out on the beach or a night out at a Cairns bar.

A great way to see Cairns is with an experienced tour guide. You can stay in Cairns and see a whole bunch of things or only travel 30 minutes by train, boat or tour bus to a whole range of destinations - choose from helicopter tours, river cruises, bus-a-bouts and boat charters so you'll be able to see a wide variety of wildlife, plants and marine life. And the best thing is there will be someone to tell you exactly what you're looking at!

Are you a water baby? There's lots of activities in Cairns that are perfect for you! You'll find the great Cairns Lagoon that offers safe all year swimming, islands with snorkeling, water sports galore and long stretches of beach that are great for a quick dip. There are also a number of water adventures for you to jump into.

Cairns is located between two of the world's most beautiful land and sea sanctuaries so there are a number of amazing and truly spectacular Wildlife Experiences that you can take part in. Meet koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, exotic fish, endangered bird species and colourful butterflies. Start your day with a trip to the Tropical Zoo to see wildlife frolic in their habitats and then visit the Cairns Night Zoo for a BBQ dinner and dine with kangaroos under the stars.

It's not well known but North Queensland is one of the many wine regions in Australia. Up here you won't find your stock standard Chardonnay or Shiraz as these progressive winemakers are looking towards the use of tropical fruit to create their Wine, Port and Liqueurs. So you won't find vineyards here you'll find fruit orchards full of mangos, bananas, lychees, pineapples, passionfruit and all the tropical fruits you can imagine.

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